How much does house cleaning cost?

When considering hiring a house cleaning service, it's wise to first research the usual cost in your local market. Taking the time to understand these local rates can help ensure you negotiate a fair price that aligns with standard industry costs.

A standard 3-bedroom home usually costs between $70-$138, but your cleaner might charge more or less. The cost of house cleaning depends on where you live, what kind of tasks you need done, and how long it’s likely to take. 

This house cleaning price guide will break down everything you need to know about house cleaning costs in Ireland, based on our data from thousands of house cleaners and completed cleaning tasks. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear idea of the price you can expect to pay for common cleaning tasks around your home and you’ll know how to get started with hiring your house cleaner.

House cleaning prices for different types of cleaning

House cleaning prices depend a lot on the type of house, the tasks, and how much work is involved. We’ve reviewed all our recent house cleaning tasks posted in the marketplace to give you approximate price guides for each.

What factors affect the cost of cleaning your house?

As you can see from our price guides above, the cost of different services can sometimes vary by hundreds. Here are the factors that might increase or decrease the price of your house clean:

• If it’s a minor task that’ll take a few minutes, or one that might take a full day

• The number of bedrooms

• The number of bathrooms

• How many m2 your home is

• How detailed the clean is (expect to pay more if you need a deep clean)

• Any extras (like oven, cabinets, windows, carpets)

• Whether you’ll provide the equipment and supplies

• Your location/suburb

• How difficult or easy it is to access and complete the job

• How urgently you need the job done

• Whether you need the cleaning done on a weekend or weekday

Average hourly rates of house cleaning in Ireland

The average hourly rate of a house cleaner depends on whether they’re employed (and their employer covers their expenses/tax/super) or they’re self-employed. 

But of course, unless you’re planning to employ your house cleaner full time (not likely!), these rates won’t apply to you. You’ll be engaging your cleaner as a contractor to come into your home for a few hours once-off, or on an ongoing basis every week or so. This means they’ll need to charge you higher rates because they’re covering their own expenses, including:

• Their wage

• Tax

• Superannuation

• Insurance

• Travel expenses

• Cleaning supplies

• And more!

A lot of the time, your cleaner will need to charge you double or triple the standard award rate to cover the costs associated with running their own business. This means you can expect to pay around $40-$60 per hour for a house cleaning contractor. So when you’re setting your budget for a task, try to keep in mind the approximate number of hours it might take, and then multiply it by at least $40.

Do I need to hire a house cleaner?

Not everyone wants or needs a house cleaner. But here are two main reasons you might choose to hire one:

1. Making sure your down-time away from work is actually down time

2. Getting an extra pair of hands to finish a big or tricky job (like doing a bond clean)

There are lots of other reasons to hire a cleaner, but overall, hiring a house cleaner will help you get more done in less time. And when you look at it that way, it’ll help you figure out what your house cleaner is worth paying.

What are the standard inclusions for house cleaning?

When you book a cleaner for your house, a standard clean will usually take around 2 hours (depending on the size of your home) and include the following services:

• Vacuuming and mopping the floors

• Wiping down all furniture and main visible surfaces

• Emptying your rubbish bins

• Cleaning your shower, bathtub, and toilets

• Washing any dirty dishes in your kitchen sink

Tasks you can give to your house cleaner

You don’t have to stick to the standard clean if you need some extra help around the house. Other tasks you might request your cleaner to do include:

• Unloading the dishwasher

• Wiping marks off your walls

• Dusting cobwebs off the ceiling

• Changing the sheets

• Putting on a load of washing

• Hanging or folding clothes

• Picking up toys

• Organising your linen cupboard

• Oven cleaning

• Microwave cleaning

• Fridge/freezer cleanout

What sort of services won’t a house cleaner do?

While some cleaners are pretty flexible, usually, they won’t do…

• Maintenance tasks - like regrouting your bathroom tiles

• Renovation tasks - like painting the walls or updating your fixtures

• Jobs outside - like mowing, sweeping, weeding, de-webbing, or cleaning the gutters

You’ll need to hire a handyperson, painter, or gardener for those tasks. But if you’d like one person to take care of it all, you can always specify this when you post your task. You might be lucky enough to get a skilled house cleaner who’s capable of helping with other tasks, too.

How much does a deep clean cost?

A deep clean will normally require extra time from your house cleaner, so you can expect to pay up to double their standard house cleaning prices. So you can expect to pay at least $140 for a 4-hour deep clean on a 3-bedroom house. This would include all the usual basic cleaning tasks, plus things like: 

• Windows cleaned

• Shelves and cupboards organised

• Ceiling fans wiped

• Oven cleaned 

• Fridge/freezer cleaned

• Kitchen cabinets wiped, etc. 

A deep clean is advised for homes that need a little extra TLC, when you need a spring clean, or once a quarter between standard cleans.

How to create your first house cleaning task

Ready to hire your house cleaner and create your first task? It’s easy! Just write out your task, list your listing, review your offers, choose someone, and they’ll arrange to come and do your house cleaning. If you’re curious, read some more about how it works.

Here’s what you might include in your listing:

• Timing and budget

• Location

• Number of rooms/bathrooms and approximate sizes

• Type of house cleaning

• Deep clean or standard clean?

• Any issues with access?

• Is the job likely to be challenging or time consuming?

• Equipment provided? 

• One-off task or ongoing work?

The more info you include, the easier it’ll be for your house cleaner to price up the job and make you an offer. Plus, they’ll refer to the info in your listing when they arrive to complete the task.